The Failed Defense of Cepheus
by DreadnoughtNero
Summary: Sisters of Battle and Imperial Guardsmen put their faith in Nero, a traitor legion Dreadnought that was left behind on the planet untainted by Chaos, to attempt at surviving a Tyranid attack on the planet Cepheus.
1. Chapter 1

The planet Cepheus, located far in the east of the Ultima Segmentum had been refound by the Sisters of Battle several decades after the Horus Heresy. The Thousand Sons that had occupied the planet had deserted it years before in favor of pursuing their legion into the Eye of Terror, the delay being in part caused by a warpstorm that lingered light-years away that served as a nuisance and constant risk to the lone planet. The storm seemed to probe the communications of the planet, causing communication blackouts for years. These years proved to be most precious, preventing the Thousand Sons on the planet from retreating with their battle brothers. They were not spared, however, from mutation and the Rubric of Ahriman. After their confused retreat their movements revealed the location of the planet to the Imperium, which hastily captured and purged it of any heresy the Thousand Sons might have left behind. Sisters of Battle lead the purge and established a force to watch over the planet alongside the Imperial Guard.

A Tyranid Hive Fleet however has arrived to Cepheus at full strength unannounced and unforeseen. Prayers to the Emperor were raised from shelters as the Imperial Guard and Sisters of Battle clashed with the hungry swarm. A strange presence had prevented the derailment of the population by the behind the scenes manipulation of a Genestealer Patriarch. A surmountable defense quickly was organized against the Hive Fleet as a result. However through sheer numbers the Hive Fleet was sure to dominate. The psychic presence however was unwavering and had already been accepted by the population to be the watchful eye of the Emperor decades before the horrific Hive Fleet's arrival. An Adeptus Mechanicus cult on the planet understood it to be caused by a well hidden and cherished relic on the planet which they believed remained on the planet by the will of the Emperor and Machine God. A small group of the population itself worshipped the relic alongside the Mechanicus members and took great lengths to hide it from the righteously zealous Sisters of Battle after advisement by the tech priests.

Now this radical faith was put to the test as a handful of Sisters of Battle, Imperial Guardsmen, and civilians barricaded themselves within a gothic chapel where the relic resided.

"MAKE ME SOME MORE BARRIERS. THERE'S ONLY ONE WAY INTO HERE AND THAT'S THROUGH THAT DOOR!" An Imperial Guard captain yelled over the confusion and panic within the chapel. The few Sisters of Battle and Imperial Guardsmen worked ceaselessly to ensure the large door would hold back the next wave of Tyranids that would surely overwhelm them otherwise. The Mechanicus cult members were absent from these events that preceded the soon to arrive battle. The captain was quite sure they were possibly preparing for combat themselves within the depths of their ancient chapel, praying to the Machine God for protection. He could care less as to their whereabouts. Half an hour later he was satisfied that the door would hold back any Tyranid genus that dare strike upon it. Firing positions were established on the windows to rain death upon the attackers. The siege would be vicious.

Captain Nathaniel Warren might not have pursued to excel in the Imperial Guard so well if he knew of the Tyranid swarm that would arrive to tear him and his men apart. He was a simple man. Not much differentiated him from his men. However his capacity for leadership was exceptional after multiple engagements with brutal Orks. After retaking Cepheus his forces remained there to ensure it would not fall to a Xeno assault. Unfortunately this would be the only and last of his missions that he would ever fail.

"We might even hold them back long enough for the Mechanicus Cult to finish their hymns and praises." Amadis, a Sister of Battle, grimly noted. Captain Nathaniel ignored her and focused on the prospect of giving the Tyranids a hard fought battle for the chapel regardless of the inevitable outcome.

Amadis was raised on Cepheus under the teachings of the Adepta Sororitas and joined them with righteous zeal imbued in her heart. She had desired nothing more than to serve the Emperor. Though to her disappointment her potential to do so is about to be cut short by vicious evisceration by the claws and hunger of the Tyranids. Regardless she stayed strong, with the same resolve Captain Nathaniel held against the Xenos.

"Oh my- look at the size of it!" An Imperial Guardsmen shouted in horror. It seemed something was overlooked in the hasty construction of the barricade. A large Carnifex rammed the chapel doors. The chapel shook to the roar of the furious beast. Nathaniel Warren had an excellent plan in the making when he chose to barricade his men in the ancient structure, but he hadn't expected a Carnifex to appear so suddenly. Imperial Guardsmen and Sisters of Battle took up firing positions and fired upon the beast in an attempt to deter it from attacking the door. Their attempts at repelling was ineffectual however, as the beast continued to ram the door as though urged on by instinct. Hormagaunts swarmed around the monster's feet and were joined by Termigaunts which quickly moved to suppress the defenders by rapidly firing on the windows. The defenders were entombed. A sort of holy chorus erupted into the halls of the chapel, causing an explosion of confusion among the Sisters of Battle and Imperial Guardsmen. The Mechanicus Cult hailed the Machine God and the Omnissiah for deliverance from the grip of the Xenos and also raised their praises to one they described as a knight and weapon of the Emperor. The door cracked open and the Carnifex shoved its head in to get a better look at those that were about to be slaughtered by the waiting swarm of gaunts. The morale among the Imperial Guardsmen and civilians immediately shattered as death looked them in the eyes. The thunder of heavy metal on pavement coming from a chamber of the chapel caught the attention of those present.

"**Nero joins you to purge the Xenos infestation." **growled a deeply electronically synthesized voice. The roar of an assault cannon spewed forth the rounds necessary to put a crack in the Carnifex's skull, forcing it to withdraw its head in howling agony. A Dreadnought fully emerged from a dark passage leading into the depths of chapel. It was an ever loyal Space Marine entombed within a life sustaining sarcophagus of war, though what made this machine special was the fact it was a traitor legion Dreadnought. The Thousand Sons, distracted by their mutations, had unintentionally left a dormant pre-heresy hero behind that had not been swayed by Chaos due to their hasty retreat to the Eye of Terror. And so it remained behind waiting and watching the planet that it was abandoned upon. Its colors gave it the appearance of seeking repentance for the unfortunate turn of its traitorous legion. The red and white painted Space Marine Dreadnought marched forth with the Mechanicus cult members following in an orderly fashion behind the revered machine. They feared not any accusation of heresy for harboring the machine. Before the Sisters of Battle could consider turning their bolters on the Dreadnought and its followers the Carnifex returned with fury. It thrust in its claws and pried the door open viciously; effectively nullifying the barricade that would have held it in place should the Carnifex of kept ramming it. The Dreadnought quickly moved forward to engage the beast. Imperial Guardsmen and Sisters of Battle stood aside as the ancient machine rushed down the great chapel hall to the compromised doors. Realizing the barricade would not be there for long the Imperial Guardsmen and Sisters of Battle near the door took the opportunity to fire into the mob of gaunts that waited outside the chapel as the Carnifex and Nero charged the barricade themselves.

The Carnifex crashed through the barricade first. Imperial Guardsmen were immediately forced to fall back as pieces of the barricade were thrown about. However they valiantly laid down suppressive fire on the advancing horde of Tyranids. The Dreadnought fired its assault cannon as the space between the Carnifex and the Dreadnought dwindled to mere feet. Nero used the momentum of his advance to his advantage and threw a powerful uppercut with his power fist. Immediately the massive Carnifex was toppled into a wall of the chapel and onto defending Imperial Guardsmen. At this point the Sisters of Battle and Imperial Guardsmen retreated to the end of the chapel hall to avoid the confrontation but continue to defend. The civilians had already taken shelter within the depths of the chapel that the cult members had emerged from. The Carnifex would have recovered from the blow if it wasn't for the Dreadnought driving his mighty fist into the Carnifex's skull unopposed. The Dreadnought turned from the corpse and confronted the oncoming horde with the assault cannon. Already Hormagaunts were swarming over the Dreadnought, prying for weaknesses in the armor. Nero stared out from within his sarcophagus without fear. A weakness in the armor would not be found so easily as Imperial Guardsmen let loose volleys of lasgun fire to dislodge the vicious creatures. The shots that missed caused little wear on the ancient machine's renewed appearance but it was of no consequence. Nero was free to let loose his powerful weapon upon the chapel's choke point, the open door.

Nathaniel was dumbstruck by the Dreadnought's appearance. It bolstered the morale among his men to see a veteran Space Marine fighting alongside them. He was unaware of the significance of its colors however and welcomed the help without question. The Dreadnought might as well of been a gift from the Emperor himself sent forth for this plight that besieged his people.

Amadis on the other hand was confused and zealously enraged. She couldn't decide what to make of the appearance of a traitor legion Dreadnought coming to their aid. It was still adorned with the Thousand Sons' pre-Heresy colors but she doubted that its heart had escaped the taint of Chaos. Nero would have to be eliminated. Not at this moment of course, even she could realize that destroying the machine now would be to their disadvantage. It would have to be dealt with later after the Tyranids were dealt with…if they could be dealt with.


	2. Chapter 2

"Glorious. The Emperor and Machine God grant us their grace in this dark time!" The tech priest, Antony, shouted above the gunfire. He himself was prepared for battle against the Tyranids. His two forearms were replaced with two chainblades and his fellow Mechanicus cult members were similarly armed for combat with the Tyranids. They however were not yet ready to throw themselves in the fray. They knew that should the Dreadnought become seriously damaged they would be Nero's only option for repair and so they remained on their guard with the Sisters of Battle at the back of the chapel.

Antony joined the chapel's Mechanicus cult members twenty years prior to the Tyranid invasion of Cepheus. Despite not being as old as his fellow Mechanicus cultists all of their knowledge was openly shared with him. He adopted the same admiration of Nero as they had and helped keep the Dreadnought's existence secret. And here, despite the oppressive lurking doom at the hands of the Tyranids he kept his head held high, sure that by keeping the loyal Dreadnought operational that he and his fellow cultists had done a great service to the Emperor.

The Tyranids were repelled and held back from re-entering the chapel by the hail of assault cannon and Imperial Guard lasgun fire. The defenders were still as a disadvantage due to having no barricade between them and the horde. As the ammunition in the Imperial Guard lasguns began to be exhausted the Tyranids were emboldened. Sure enough the endless Tyranid horde was spilling into the chapel again. Nathaniel was quite sure that the depths of the chapel would have a reinforced door of sorts, knowing that the Mechanicus cult members would expend such an effort to protect their technology from Xeno raiders.

"MEN! FALL BACK TO THE CHAPEL'S INNER SANCTUM! PROVIDE COVER FIRE FOR THE RETREAT!" Nathaniel ordered. His men hurriedly accepted this order and fell back from the advancing mass of Hormagaunts. Nero seemed ignorant of the order for several moments as he mercilessly tore into the Tyranids with his powerfist and attached flamer. However even the Dreadnought realized the futility in this and fell back. The assault cannon roared to life to pepper with advancing horde with death. Unfortunately Nero couldn't cover the whole building. Hormagaunts leaped over the suppressive lasgun fire and landed among retreating guardsmen and the Sisters of Battle.

Chainswords and bayonets valiantly met the tearing claws of the Hormagaunts. Although they made a valiant effort they were immediately being overrun. The Sisters of Battle were more enduring and managed to hold off the Hormagaunts from entering the inner sanctum long enough for the remaining guardsmen to retreat. With the Imperial Guardsmen, followed by the Mechanicus cult members, gone from the battle the chapel hall was officially overrun with only Nero and the Sisters of Battle remaining.

"We need to fall back to the inner sanctum ourselves sisters! Let this ancient end his service to the Emperor in battle!" Amadis had jumped on the favorable conditions to remove Nero. She viewed it as leaving a traitor to die alone as traitors deserve. The Sisters of Battle hurriedly disengaged and retreated into the dark stairway. Nero was not ignorant of their hurried exit as he himself approached the stairway. Before he could retreat down it the mass of Hormagaunts, now no longer held back by gunfire, swarmed over his legs and body and desperately tore away at the machine's joints. They suddenly had the instinct to tear at where the Dreadnought was most vulnerable.

**"I refuse to fall just yet."** Nero muttered inside his sarcophagus. The machine pushed through the worse of its injuries to continue advancing on the stairway but was sure to cease functioning should the Hormagaunt assault continue. The mind within, defiant on this lonely fate, drew upon the powers of the Warp and smited the Hormagaunts surrounding the machine with psychic lightning bolts. Even though his movement was now unrestricted there were more Hormagaunts closing in to take their late kins' places. Nero retreated down the stairway to the inner sanctum.

The Mechanicus cultists sure enough had an adamantium door as Nathaniel had predicted. The cultists had supplemented some of the door however with plasteel and ceramite, possibly not having the funds to aquire enough adamantium to finish the door as they had intended. The Tyranids still had the chance to enter the inner sanctum and slaughter the defenders. But for now they were safe…or would be if the Mechanicus cult members would activate the mechanisms to close it.

Amadis quickly was made impatient by their delaying. The cultists insisted on waiting for Nero's return due to not hearing an indication of the Dreadnought's destruction. If the Dreadnought were to have survived and was on its way to the inner sanctum Amadis would rather deny it entry and hope for the traitor legion Dreadnought's quick destruction as repayment for its legion's horrific crime against the Emperor. To her personal dismay the Dreadnought arrived as the Mechanicus members had hoped. The door was closed before the Hormagaunts bloodthirstily gained entrance themselves.

The inner sanctum of the chapel was impressively large and ornately decorated with symbols of the Mechanicus, tributes to the Emperor, and banners of the Thousand Sons. The Mechanicus cult members had built an admirable hall underneath the chapel that rivaled the pre-Tyranid sanctity of the upper floor. At the other end of the sanctum was a large picture of the Emperor and at his feet was the obvious location where Nero had slept away the centuries.

Amadis's first impulse was to call for the tearing down of the traitorous banners. She was becoming increasingly frustrated by what she perceived as corruption. Nero still standing further agitated this feeling of hostility. Nathaniel however was awestruck by the sanctum and was almost too preoccupied to inquire the Mechanicus members about the possibility of them hoarding lasgun ammunition in tandem with their chainblades and other weapons. The chapel was undeniably ancient. The worn stone appearance of the outside of the chapel was not much of an indication of its age, neither was the hall, but the Dreadnought and sanctum finally gave an idea of how far back the chapel's history reached.

**"My predictions of the Xenos invasion prove true. As to what the future holds I do not know." **Nero spoke to the Mechanicus cultists as though to continue a past conversation. Amadis thought the words over with scrutiny. Nero had indicated that he already had knowledge of the Hive Fleet coming to Cepheus prior to its arrival. Even the Mechanicus cult members had this knowledge. She quickly came to the conclusion that they had held back this information due to Chaos taint. Amadis despised the traitor legion Dreadnought. This zealous hatred had finally branched out to the Mechanicus members that had maintained the Dreadnought.

Antony was already aware of Nero's psychic potential the longer he had spent around the dormant machine in this sacred sanctum. He eventually realized that in the months preceding the Tyranid invasion the sleeping Dreadnought was apparently in an active psychic conflict with something hidden elsewhere on the planet. Days before the Tyranid invasion, it seemed as though Nero had won the conflict, waking from his sleep to claim, "a true patriarch serves the Emperor."


	3. Chapter 3

In the meantime Nathaniel was faced with a dilemma. He was starting to come up short on men. The Sisters of Battle had fared much better by falling back behind the Imperial Guard defensive and letting the Guardsmen take losses instead. Five Sisters of Battle and four squads of Imperial Guardsmen remained. Furthermore he had lost his heavy weapons in the Tyranid assault. What remained was their lasguns that were nearly emptied by the opening conflict. Ammunition was now scarce for the Guardsmen and Nathaniel feared a successful breach through the walls of the inner sanctum. There was a possible solution to be found in this sanctum. Again Nathaniel would have to appeal to the Mechanicus cult's hospitality, having already taken refuge in their cathedral and being blessed with the intervention of their invaluable Dreadnought.

"Adeptus Mechanicus members, my men require weaponry and ammunition. If you have any to spare to the Emperor's Guardsmen it would be most welcomed." Nathaniel attempted to choose his words carefully in an attempt to appeal to their sense of duty and avoid their potential desire to preserve what they viewed as holy relics. Sure enough Thousand Sons themed Heavy Bolters, Flamers, and Imperial Guard lasguns were distributed among the Guardsmen and arranged to defend potential breach locations, mostly towards the sanctum's sealed doorway. Ammunition was plentiful and piled around the defenders that would require it. Nathaniel knew these weapons weren't the full 'collection' that the cultists had gathered, having managed a glance into their mighty armory to which he was denied access. Set-up durasteel barricades were also available and were placed in anticipation of a Tyranid assault from all sides of the inner sanctum hall. Nathaniel went far enough to ensure that a few among the civilian population were in possession of a laspistol on the premise that it might help this surely doomed defense.

The Sisters of Battle present had no hand in the preparations and instead were silently praying to the Emperor for guidance in a location that they perceived as a perversion of faith to the Imperium. They remained at the very end of the sanctum by the large picture of the Emperor of Mankind, believing it to be the only location in the sanctum lacking the unholy traitor legion taint. If this Tyranid hive fleet was to ever be driven off, this would be the first place the Sisters of Battle would purge.

Nero in the meantime was in the progress of being repaired by a group of Servitors which was overseen by an Enginseer. They worked with an eerie patience as they welded together torn metal and fixed broken mechanical components. Some things would be beyond their knowledge to repair but thankfully would not directly hinder the Dreadnought's combat performance. Nathaniel had little time to observe these repairs and continued to focus on ways to defend from the malicious Tyranid horde.

After the repairs were complete Nero made his way to the end of the sanctum. Despite his size he moved with careful precision to avoid the wide durasteel barricades. When Nero stopped his advance he was towering over the assembled Sisters of Battle. Amadis found this disturbing but simply stood her ground against what she predicted would be an attack from a servant of Chaos. He leaned forward, his view focused on Amadis.

"**More holy warriors, it is a glorious sight to see more dedicate their lives to the Emperor. Excluding my absent battle brothers, I could not ask for more worthy allies in these dark times." **Nero said with a sort of perceptible pride. Amadis suspected manipulation and deceit to be the goal of the traitor Dreadnought's praise. The words to her should have been hollow. Amadis's zeal found what she thought to be a weakness in the Dreadnought's righteous demeanor. However she could not surmount the question before the Dreadnought began to return to the other end of the sanctum.

"Wait!" Amadis shouted after the Dreadnought, refusing to address the supposed traitor by name. Nero stopped and turned back to look at the Sister of Battle. She was feeling suddenly bold in pursuing her possible discovery.

"Absent? Then where have your battle brothers gone?" She pried. Amadis suspected the Dreadnought to be in denial of its legion's and its own corruption. His answer would surely be admittance to their desertion or outright denial of it. She viewed this as a perfect trap for the Dreadnought. Nero brought himself to fully face the Sister of Battle as though he was about to engage in a confrontation.

"**My battle brothers are but dust."** Nero growled. Amadis didn't understand his words. The statement was simple and straightforward. Her knowledge as to the fate of the traitor legion stopped at their fleeing to the Eye of Terror. She had no idea of the destruction caused to the legion through the Rubric of Ahriman. Nero, however, seemed to have knowledge of the event despite his long slumber within the cathedral. Nero suddenly turned about to the armored door of the sanctum and loudly addressed the Imperial Guardsmen.

"**The Tyranids are tunneling around the mighty Mechanicus blessed gate. Aim your weaponry upon its location and prepare for the breach." **Nero announced. Nathaniel was stunned by his sudden knowledge of the impending attack. Nathaniel immediately set about moving the Heavy Bolters to intercept this foretold threat.

Amadis left her fellow sisters for the moment to demand heavy weapons from the tech priest, Antony. She did so with a threatening undertone, frustrated by the traitorous enigma she envisioned of Nero. He obligingly did so but found the Sisters of Battle to be difficult to please. Antony could not propose the use of Thousand Sons Combi-Bolters from the armory as an upgrade to their worn bolters and bolt pistols. Instead Antony was forced to enact repairs on their old bolters, bolt pistols, and chainswords. They would have none of the traitor legion's weapons.

While Nathaniel readily accepted Nero's premonition the Sisters of Battle stood back with the large picture of the Emperor, prepared for attacks from the sides and behind the Imperial Guard defense. Amadis was sure that this might be simply a ploy of the Dreadnought to undermine the defenders by having their heavy weapons pointed in the wrong direction. The Sisters of Battle would not so readily allow such treachery to succeed. Though with only bolters and chainswords the effect they could possibly have on a flanking assault was trivial.

The sanctuary shook as the Tyranids made contact with the stone walls. Raveners ceaselessly burrowed and expanded the tunnel for the Hormagaunts and Termigaunts that were prepared to sacrifice themselves to overwhelm the Imperial Guard defenses. The Raveners leaped through the last layer of the stone wall that opposed them and were torn to pieces by the Heavy Bolter fire that started up to meet them. The great hall echoed the thunder of the guns firing upon the new storm of Tyranids that attempted to pour from the sinister tunnels. Imperial Guardsmen forward defensive positions were primarily armed with flamers in an attempt to pour torrents of fire into the tunnels while the Heavy Bolter fire and Imperial Guardsmen armed with lasguns and bayonets attempted to defend the valiant attempt at subduing the Tyranid assault.

Dead and burning Hormagaunt and Termigaunt corpses began to pile up outside the tunnels. The defense was working. Nero himself joined the chorus of weapon fire with his assault cannon. Nathaniel noticed the tech priests to be hard at work in assembling a new weapon to field, though he didn't hold his attention to it long enough to know what it was. He resumed shouting encouragement to the Guardsmen squads as they held their ground against a surely undefeatable enemy. Their morale was in direct proportions with their performance and that was irreplaceable at the moment. They needed to hold the Tyranids back.

"**I shall destroy these beasts with my single power fist should it be necessary! These men, loyal to the Emperor, shall not fall this day!" **Nero roared over his assault cannon. This seemed to have a more profound effect on the Imperial Guardsmen's moral than Nathaniel's shouts had. Nathaniel readily welcomed this concept and started to base his shouts on the great blessings Emperor that was being extended to the Guardsmen through Nero's service alongside them.

The Tyranids were being held back by another contribution of the Mechanicus cult members and, arguably, the legacy the Thousand Sons had left behind. But could it truly last?


	4. Chapter 4

As the defense of the inner sanctum continued the Sisters of Battle became increasingly suspicious of a flanking assault being imminent. The walls shook as the sound of gunfire ricocheted through the great hall and made the possibility of predicting a breach visually impossible until it happened, something that would be fatal due to the heavy weapons being focused on the already opened tunnels that were teeming with Tyranids. Amadis became increasingly conflicted on their decision to reject the Thousand Sons heavy weapons.

Meanwhile the tech priests had nearly completed the construction of their new weapon. It was a Plasma Cannon, clearly intended for Dreadnought use, only securely mounted to the hall floor. It was quite clear their intentions were to turn this weapon into a turret platform of great destruction against the Tyranid tunnels. Nathaniel was greatly pleased by this development as the tech priests neared the completion of the powerful weapon. It could turn the tide and relieve the soon to be exhausted Guardsmen.

However they might not have the time required to finish their construction. Larger Tyranids were joining the battle under the cover of the gaunt horde. The swarm seemed to become more coordinated as the Termigaunts seemed to seek cover in the corpses to fire back from on the Imperial Guardsmen instead of mindlessly rushing the gun emplacements with the Hormagaunts. Due to this sudden coordination and suppression of the Guardsmen the Tyranids truly gained a foothold into the sanctum.

The larger creatures known as Warriors, armed with vicious bioguns, selected to fire on the heart of the Imperial Guard defense, the heavy bolter crews. This was to Nathaniel's ire, as each Guardsman in this defense was valuable, but he could do nothing about it besides point out these beasts for the Guardsmen to attempt gunning down. Each gunner that was shot down would have to be quickly replaced as the Tyranids slowly advanced. If this kept up Nero's Assault Cannon would become the only suppressive weapon at the defense's disposal.

**"Unfortunate."** Nero growled as the Assault Cannon's chambers uselessly spun about as though to fire. What was unfortunate was the fact that Nero had managed to expend all of his ammunition at this inopportune. Instead of waiting for Servitors to be dispatched to reload his weapon, Nero charged forward. He strode forward and left the Imperial Guardsmen positions behind in favor of wading into the vicious Tyranid horde yet again. The Dreadnought's power claw came to life as Nero reached out and tore into the endless wave. The few Hormagaunts that survived the initial punch from the Dreadnought were crushed under his feet and shoved back by his charge forward. His rush was surely a last ditch attempt at dying in honorable combat.

With a fiendish howl a Warrior was seized from the horde against its will and crushed by Nero's power claw. At the moment of Nero halting to seize the creature he was immediately swarmed by Hormagaunts. But they were doomed to fail at stopping the Space Marine veteran from tearing the synapse generating Tyranids apart as the few Imperial Guardsmen armed with flamers unleashed their weapons' flames over the Dreadnought to ward off the swarm. Nero could not possibly destroy all of the Warriors however. Unfortunately the tech priests had not yet finished their explosive solution and the Imperial Guardsmen were at their limit. Nero stopped in mid combat and turned to the defenders.

**"Sisters of Battle, join this hard fought conflict so that our efforts won't be for naught!"** Nero appealed to the Sisters of Battle that remained idle at the end of the Sanctum. A sudden sense of guilt struck Amadis as she realized the urgency at hand. Losing the traitor legion Dreadnought was still a goal, but at this moment the Imperial Guardsmen were about to lose this fight. The Sisters of Battle, if they wanted to survive this ordeal and purge this chapel of heresy, would have to join in the struggle to force the Tyranids back. Even if it meant joining one who could be declared a heretic it was required to intervene and cooperate at this point.

"Sisters, the time to fight back against these Xenos is now! Join these valiant Guardsmen in holding these monsters back!" Amadis encouraged as she rushed to join the conflict with her chainsword and boltpistol. The other four Sisters of Battle readily followed her into combat against the Tyranids. What ensued was a desperate close-quarters battle to force the Tyranids back. Inspired, Guardsmen joined the battle with their bayonets when taking a shot at the Tyranids proved impossible without the chance of hitting a Battle Sister. Several Imperial Guardsmen, lost in the moment, were taken down by the occasionally fortunate Hormagaunt or Termigaunt attack while a single Sister of Battle, separated from her other Battle Sisters amongst the chaos was considerably harder for them to overwhelm. Slowly the Tyranid horde in the Sanctum was pushed back to their tunnels. Tyranid reinforcements were trickling to a halt as the horde that was assaulting the Chapel was finally being fully expended. The sudden widening of a tunnel signaled something bigger coming to force the defenders back.

Two voracious Carnifexes crawled out from the tunnel and strode into the Sanctum, their transport into the underground courtesy of Raveners that had not joined the initial conflict and dedicated themselves to the Carnifexes advance. The two massive creatures signaled the last of the Tyranids to assault the Chapel and possibly the mutual end of the defenders. Immediately the Guardsmen's morale was dropped and they retreated back to the Heavy Bolter defenses. The Heavy Bolters themselves were ineffective against the Carnifexes which ignored the antipersonnel rounds. Nero however was too preoccupied in tearing apart a sudden onrush of Warriors to notice the Carnifexes slowly advancing behind the Dreadnought. The Sisters of Battle joined the retreat from the two large creatures to let them do as they wished to the oblivious Nero, though the tech priest Antony would not let the Dreadnought's destruction come to pass unopposed.

Antony, armed with his two chainswords, rushed forward. Throwing in all the force made available by his cybernetic implants Antony brought both chain bladed weapons into contact with the legs of one of the Carnifexes. The roaring weapons quickly took action against the Carnifex's exoskeleton and created a high pitched screaming sound as the metal teeth tore into the armor. The screeching alerted both the Carnifex and Nero to Antony's attempted intervention. Both Carnifexes looked down upon Antony's valiant attempt at delaying them with a sort of twisted smile, though they wouldn't be smiling for long. The face of one of the Carnifexes exploded violently as a blast of plasma made contact with its skull. Antony, only temporarily dazed by the sudden and bright explosion, fled from the Carnifex's collapsing body. The tech priests had completed the construction of their Plasma Cannon with success.

The remaining Carnifex, as though defiant on the defenders that had just succeeded at swiftly killing of its kin, confronted the charging Nero. Nero rammed the Carnifex. The impact would have caused the Carnifex to stumble backwards, but instead the Carnifex grabbed hold of the Dreadnought to hold itself steady and, to the dismay of the tech priests, raised its right claw to strike down upon Nero. They were in a vicious grapple and Nero was quick to delay the possibly fatal blow by catching it with his power claw. However when the Carnifex raised its left claw Nero had no answer for it.

The large Dreadnought's legs buckled under the force of the claw stabbing into its body. A sudden move of retaliation by Nero was again to tap into the power of the warp. The Carnifex's claw was continuing to force into the Dreadnought, closer and closer to its vital systems. The effect provided by the Nero's tapping into the power of the Warp was a force field that denied the Carnifex's claw further access, but this was at a cost of Nero's own mental strength. Nero's power claw fell helplessly to his side, unpowered, and the machine fell onto its back as the Carnifex smashed it backwards. The Carnifex turned to the defenders and roared in what it thought to be a victory, only to have the Plasma Cannon again accurately fire a round into its face in the same fashion of its late kinsman. There were no more Tyranids swarming from the tunnels, the offensive on the Chapel was temporarily stalled. The Imperial Guardsmen, Sisters of Battle, Mechanicus, and Nero had held them back successfully for the moment. The Sanctum was filled with silence as the defenders stared at the unmoving Dreadnought.

"Such is the fate of heretics, to die alone." Amadis broke the silence. The part regarding him falling alone was true. The Dreadnought was the only combatant left at the front when the Carnifexes appeared. For this the Guardsmen felt disappointed in having so easily lost their courage while the tech priests rushed to their fallen Dreadnought's side. Its right shoulder had been viciously torn into. The Assault Cannon added a sort of insult to the injury by bending the metal armor outwards with its weight.

"He fights through the worst of his injuries like his fellow warriors of the Emperor would have!" A Mechanicus cult member proclaimed. The Imperial Guardsmen kept their distance, confused by this proclamation. Amadis walked up to the fallen Dreadnought to find an explanation for this curious statement. Sure enough, Nero had survived his surely grievous wound; the machine was only damaged. The power plant that gave the Dreadnought its life support and movement was still burning furiously. The injury to the machine had only disabled it…temporarily. The Dreadnought slowly rose from the floor as the power claw regained operational power to provide lift. Slowly Nero was back on his feet. The Imperial Guardsmen, joyous over his survival, rose thanks to the Emperor for this good fortune. The tech priests scattered to retrieve the tools and resources required for the repairs that needed to be done. While Amadis, disappointed, went to turn away and rejoin her sisters.

**"You have my thanks, may the Emperor repay you and your fellow battle sisters for your sacrifice."** Nero expressed his appreciation for the Sisters of Battle intervening to turn to tide and showed regret for the single Sister of Battle that had fallen in the skirmish. Nathaniel on the other hand was indifferent. He had lost a squad that had manned a Heavy Bolter emplacement and completely lost the Guardsmen armed with Flamers to the Tyranids. The casualties totaled eleven out of twenty seven, nearly half of the forces he retreated with. The loss of a single Sister of Battle didn't concern him greatly. The loss of Nero, however, would have stressed both him and the remaining men.

They had held back the first wave of Tyranids for now. But what could be said about the rest of the planet's horde that now ravaged the surface? And would there be enough time to reinforce their position with the defenses required to hold back the next wave?


	5. Chapter 5

With the repairs of Nero being quickly underway and with the Tyranid forces assaulting the chapel neutralized, Captain Nathaniel Warren had the adamantium sanctum door opened, for but a moment, for him and handful of his men to observe the damage to the chapel and the city on the surface. He leaded his men with one of the few intact flamers left over from the Tyranid assault on the Mechanicus chapel. He refused to hide under a wrecked chapel in hopes that the Imperial Guard forces on Cepheus would be able to repel the attack or that the Space Marines would catch word of the Tyranid invasion and intervene. To assess the situation was a priority at this point before he could ascertain what defenses were required in the defense of the chapel. On the other hand, if the Tyranids had moved on from this area, he could relocate and link up with other Imperial Guard regiments that had survived the ravenous swarm. He silently hoped that they had killed all the Tyranids in the chapel area; he didn't want to meet a Tyranid on the dark stairs. Nathaniel had little doubt that a Warrior or Ravener could quickly overwhelm him head on despite his flamer if such an encounter occurred. But he lead his men to the surface to set a similar fearless example for his men as Nero had.

Nathaniel had no need to shield his eyes from a change of lighting when emerging from the dark Tyranid tunnel, for there was none. The sky was blackened out either by foul means of the Tyranids or a radical change of weather. However Nathaniel was able to acknowledge in the darkness that the roof of the chapel had gaping holes in it evidently from a sudden wave of Tyranid spores that joined the attack on the building. He was comforted by the fact that they had retreated to the inner sanctum when they did; the spores would've sealed a horrific inevitable fate if his forces were under them. The city, or what little he could see by looking out the broken doors of the chapel, did not fare so well. The path of the Carnifexes was clear due to huge gashes in buildings where Imperial Guardsmen had barricaded themselves and tried to oppose the Tyranids much like Nathaniel's forces had. It saddened him to see the city ravaged as it was, but there was little more he could do.

He ordered his men back to the stairway to the sanctum. The holes in the ceiling of the chapel compromised the possibility of retaking the chapel hall and rebuilding the defenses. Those very holes would have given the Tyranids a much more inviting and surprising direction of attack. Nathaniel looked one last time at the devastated city. He was surprised by what he saw.

Meanwhile down in the inner sanctum Amadis silently observed the repairs of the, now resting, traitor legion Dreadnought. She still felt a constant, if not increased, zealous hatred for the machine and its occupant. Amadis was steadfast in the opinion that it would have been better for the Thousand Sons warrior to accept destruction instead of continuing what she believed to be deceitful acting on its part. He was not a hero of the Imperium as the Dreadnought armor proudly implied to the common observer. Instead she saw a potential tool of Chaos to undermine everything the Imperium had built. Chatter among the Mechanicus cultists caught her attention. Despite one of the cultist's attempts at a whisper, his cybernetic voicebox voice gave his words away to the attentive Sister of Battle.

"The Prophesy of Nero nears fulfillment." The cultist told his brothers, clearly with the intent of reminding them. They all nodded in acknowledgement and continued their work on Nero's shoulder. Immediately Amadis jumped on the opportunity to reveal the possibility of heresy. She approached the working cultists and resting Dreadnought.

"Prophesy of Nero? What is this prophesy you speak of?" Amadis asked. The cultist she had gained the tip off from snapped his attention from his work directly to her. But it would not be him answering the Sister of Battle.

"By some bizarre providence the Thousand Sons were summoned, possibly by the bidding of the Emperor himself, to move into the Eye of Terror." Antony suddenly answered. "They left Cepheus, but Nero claimed that he must remain behind to keep watch over Cepheus and called upon the Mechanicus Cult of this chapel to keep him hidden away, here, until the sky is blackened with a foul Xenos evil, Nero then prophesized the return of his battle brothers to Cepheus and that they would precursor their return with a sign."

"Today is the darkest day of Cepheus's long history. His prophesy has rung true. But what of his battle brothers I do not know." Anthony concluded. He was quite familiar with Nero's prediction and expressed great pride in the events described in it.

"When do his battle brothers return? And what is to say they are not lost to the Eye of Terror?" Amadis pried. She did not expect Chaos Space Marines to remember such a planet in the midst of their worship to the Chaos Gods and fanatical bloodshed. Antony seemed to lack the answer she wanted, Amadis was sure that Nero was hiding something. Amadis, out of possibly unrealized childish curiosity, climbed up and looked into the kneeled Dreadnought's sarcophagus during the silence. While on the Dreadnought's face she contemplated the possibility of firing her bolt pistol through the unarmored view port and killing the traitor here and now. It was a pleasing thought. Amadis peered into the black sarcophagus closer to try and catch a glimpse of the hero's ravaged body. Nero's two glowing cybernetic eyes suddenly appeared to meet hers.

**"My battle brothers have sent their sign to Cepheus. They will be here." **Nero answered. Amadis, feeling suddenly vulnerable if not terrified of the Dreadnought's awareness, fell off the face of the Dreadnought in a panic. The rest of the Dreadnought's body remained inactive to allow the cultists to safely continue their work.

"What makes you say that? What sign?" Amadis had lost her zealous confidence and her words sounded fearfully wary of Nero. Admittedly she was no longer prying simply Mechanicus cultists; she was confronting the wisdom of the Dreadnought itself yet again.

**"The Warp Storm of Divine Will, it appeared during a period of great galactic turmoil as I understand. It cut off all communication and travels to the Imperium. After decades of isolation my battle brothers were summoned forth to travel through it. The compelling force that brought us to this decision could be no other than the Emperor himself, I am still sure of it. The storm ended shortly after their departure."** Nero explained. He stopped and simply watched the Sister of Battle from his sarcophagus for her reaction.

"So they died there? 'There are but dust'." Amadis was pleased with her conclusion. Nero had said those very words himself when she inquired as to their fate earlier.

**"They have been cleansed of their mortal bodies. Their immortal armor serves as their body and tomb. With no weakness to the foul poisons of the Warp they have been aptly equipped by the Emperor himself to fight the enemies of the Imperium and strike down any demon that stands in their way." **Nero declared with pride. He sincerely believed in the divinity of such a strange condition that befell the Thousand Sons. Amadis stared at the Dreadnought at a loss for words. She was not sure how to go about describing the Thousand Sons as mutants or heretics due to them having no bodies to mutate if Nero's words were true. She was unaware of such a radical change to had taken place among the traitor legion.

"Do you know where they are now?" Amadis wanted to be sure that they had met destruction in the Eye of Terror. A legion of Space Marines that were no longer bound by the limits of their own bodies would be a horrific army to meet anywhere in the Imperium. Curiously, though, Nero did not answer. The Mechanicus cultists continued their work in silence, leaving the Sister of Battle with an overwhelming number of questions and fears floating around in her mind. Nero broke the silence with his answer.

**"They are here. Mechanicus tech priests, I must go to meet them."** Nero's sudden realization of their arrival was all Amadis needed to support a conclusion of him being psyker or under Chaos influence. She had not witnessed his more explosive psychic feat from the opening skirmish but now the cause of his survival against the Carnifex's lethal blow was becoming clear.

"No. Those loyal to the Imperium do not consort with traitors!" Amadis was suddenly zealously open with her opinion of the Thousand Sons. Nero suddenly rose to his feet, to the surprise of the cultists, to confront her accusations at full height while the Mechanicus members backed away from the two for neutrality. All attention in the sanctum was on the two warriors of the Imperium.

**"Traitors? I think not. We follow the same Imperium of Man. What makes you claim otherwise?" **Nero's voice shook with barely contained rage. He didn't understand how she had come to such a conclusion. Amadis on the other hand had some knowledge of the conflict that erupted between the Space Wolves and the Thousand Sons legion during the Heresy and fully intended to make use of it.

"The Thousand Sons are heretical sorcerers that seek to destroy the Imperium. They fled into the Eye of Terror and owe their allegiance to Chaos. They sided against the Emperor. They're a traitor legion!" Amadis wasn't sure how the Dreadnought would respond. Adrenalin made holding her posture difficult as her body prepared for the need to avoid a strike from the near invincible machine. The two stared at each other.

**"I leave to meet them regardless. If they are to be traitors I will crush them with my own hands. I see that I do not require your assistance; you're overzealous enough to question my own loyalty, a blinding trait." **Nero made his decision and turned to leave the sanctum. Captain Nathaniel was just returning through the adamantium door with a look of disbelief on his face.

"Space Marines are here outside of the chapel fighting in the ruined city!" Nathaniel was visibly overjoyed by the development. The silence that met the news confused him. Nero, despite the minor damage still present on his shoulder forced the partially opened adamantium door aside and ascended the stairs. Immediately after Nero's departure arguing broke out among the Imperial Guardsmen that had witnessed the conflict and the Sisters of Battle. Nathaniel tried vainly to get control of the situation. The thunder of the plasma cannon firing got everyone's attention. Antony stood atop the weapon in order to address the quarrelling parties.

"Nero's faith is nothing to question. He has brought us through this Tyranid conflict so far without fail. His allegiance is to the Imperium and all that follow it. We know not of the changed allegiance of the Thousand Sons. But I assure you that Nero's allegiance is not so easily changed! We should have greater faith in the integrity of one of the Emperor finest warriors and not suspect him of heresy so " Antony assured. The silence that followed made him believe the situation was stamped out as quickly as it had started. But a bolter pistol round from a Sister of Battle that tore into the cybernetics in his torso proved otherwise. Amadis immediately poised her weapons in preparation to fire on the Imperial Guardsmen, expecting them to retaliate, with her battle sisters joining her battle ready stance as well. The Imperial Guardsmen, not to be gunned down by Sisters of Battle that apparently cared not of the fate of followers of the Imperium, readily showed that they still controlled the Heavy Bolter emplacements by aiming them to fire. It was a standoff that weighed heavily against the Sisters of Battle. Their escape from the sanctum, should they want to pursue Nero, was cut off by Nathaniel's small force that had returned from the surface.

"Don't be stupid! We didn't survive that Tyranid assault just so we could kill each other!" Nathaniel was none too pleased with the conflict and he didn't intend to gun down the Sisters of Battle. He wanted a peaceful resolution to the stand off.

"Nero can't be allowed to join those traitors." Amadis turned her pistol to aim at Nathaniel. He stood his ground but didn't raise his weapon; he did not believe his flamer should be used against the Sisters of Battle; he might be able to talk them into lowering their weapons easier that way.

The standoff and Nero's apparent desertion of the chapel had everyone on edge against each other. It would be unsurprising if they opted to slay each other in the name of the Emperor…


	6. Chapter 6

"Alright, let's talk this out, what's this about Nero?" Nathaniel questioned. He was hoping the Sisters of Battle and the offended Guardsmen would refrain from exploding into combat with each other. A period of silence took place until Amadis confidently lowered her pistol and strode forward to glare down on the Imperial Guard Captain.

"Nero and his legion are traitors. I cannot imagine letting that heretic get away simply because of your Guardsmen liking the displays of his undeserved power. He cannot be allowed to rejoin his traitorous brethren." Amadis's explanation surprised Nathaniel. He was sure that there was a great deal of truth to her words, but her undeniable zeal against the occupant of the Dreadnought made her claims of Nero's traitorous allegiance questionable. However what had to be done next was clear.

"I'm not sure if what all you say is true. But either way if these Space Marines are traitors we must not allow Nero to fall into their possession. Men! I want you to make a decision for yourselves. Choose if you wish to remain here or leave with me and the Sisters of Battle. Either way, we're going after Nero!" With a choice available to the Guardsmen, Nathaniel expected at least a handful of his rather small force to remain behind with the Heavy Bolter emplacements; instead they enthusiastically chose to join Nathaniel in his pursuit of Nero with a single battle cry, "Onwards to Nero!"

"Just don't let them get in our way when Nero's true colors become apparent." Amadis spitefully told Nathaniel before leaving through the open adamantium door with her battle sisters to possibly see the surface of Cepheus herself. Nathaniel was hoping they weren't pursuing Nero on their own and simply needed the obstacle of the Guardsmen removed. In that event Nathaniel would have done just what they had wanted while leaving himself at odds with the waves of Tyranids that ravaged the surface of the planet.

Imperial Guardsmen went about preparing the Heavy Bolters for travel while the Mechanicus cultists, even the presumed grievously wounded Antony, distributed generous amounts of ammunition to the Guardsmen as well as blessing their weapons. Nathaniel requested a single box containing armor piercing ammunition for the Heavy Bolters, not only in anticipation of possibly meeting other Carnifexes, but also for the possibly unfortunate event that the Guardsmen might have to fight a traitorous Nero.

"I hope you know what you are doing." Antony expressed his concern for the Imperial Guardsmen's choice to leave the easily defendable chapel's inner sanctum as he delivered a box of grenades to a guardsman to distribute among his fellow soldiers.

"You should be more concerned of your fate. If you are not going with us how do you expect to hold out here?" Nathaniel was sure that the Mechanicus cult would not leave the holy sanctum of the Thousand Sons that they had erected. Sure enough Nathaniel was correct with his prediction.

"This sanctum is not the only place we have for our protection, Captain. Where your men would be implausible to place in some areas, they are perfect choke points for us to make our stand against these foul creatures. May the Machine God watch over you, your men, and Nero." Antony made no mention of the absent Sisters of Battle. Clearly had not forgiven them of the blow made to his cybernetics. The Mechanicus cult vanished into their sealed armories, leaving the Imperial Guardsmen alone to pursue Nero and the zealous Sisters of Battle themselves.

Meanwhile

** "I fear not these xenos. I fear not the heretic. I fear nothing." **Nero roared as he closed the gap between himself and a Lictor that had foolishly revealed itself. The creature, not to be so easily extinguished, leaped upon the advancing Dreadnought and tore at the damaged shoulder of the machine. The large claws it sported were considerably more effective than the sharp weaponry the Hormagaunts possessed. However despite its vicious tools it was ripped from the Dreadnought's hull when Nero had achieved a firm hold of the creature with his power fist. As he crushed the life from the alien creature a voice whispered into his mind. The Lictor was the only creature to be found in Nero's path since he had left the chapel, he cared not for where the swarms had newly focused their attention at the moment. He sought his battle brothers.

"The mighty Nero, I return to find one of our finest." The voice struck Nero as sinister and scheming. He immediately met it with distrust.

**"And what is this, a vile sorcerer? You will find no weakness in my faith."** Nero openly concluded. The Dreadnought's body turned about as the eyes within scanned the ruined landscape with attention to detail as he tried to seek out the location of the concealed speaker.

"You are as faithful as ever my brother. I expected nothing less when we returned to this besieged planet. It is us, the Sons of Magnus. Look ahead." The voice pleasingly told Nero. Nero turned about and looked upon the elaborately decorated Sorcerer standing atop a collapsed statue depicting the Emperor. His first impulse, if the Sorcerer hadn't identified himself as one of his battle brothers, would have been to gun down the otherwise foreign psyker. There was a long silence between the two as Nero absorbed every detail of the Sorcerer's blue and gold armor.

**"I do not recognize you." **Nero's voice seemed to tremble. He seemed disturbed by the change of the armor's design and color. This Sorcerer did not fit the description of a Son of Magnus that Nero would fondly recall in his slumber.

"Fear not our revised appearances, Nero. It is still us. We have torn through the horrific daemon infested world of the Warp and survived. I am proof of our survival on our campaign. We return for you, your battle brothers wish for you to join our next campaign against our enemies. Will you join us Nero?" The Sorcerer explained, several similarly colored Space Marines appearing alongside him. Nero was pleased by the Sorcerer's words and the proof of his legion surviving the campaign in the Warp. The chance to join his battle brothers on a new campaign into the Warp struck Nero as an excellent opportunity to serve not only his legion but the divine will of the Emperor. However he didn't have time to accept the Sorcerer's proposal as another party intervened.

"ALL HERETICS WILL PERISH AGAINST OUR WRATH!" Was Amadis's battle cry as the five Sisters of Battle, having caught up with the ancient war machine, fired on Nero and the Thousand Sons Sorcerer with their bolters from the cover of a ruined building. Nero had little concern for himself as his armor easily held against the gunfire, instead he feared for the fate of his battle brothers. The Dreadnought quickly moved to intercept the shots, using himself as a barrier between the Sisters of Battle's bolters and the Sorcerer. He did not shield the Marines that had accompanied the Sorcerer, remembering full well of their gift of immortality from the Emperor. Neither did he turn his assault cannon on the Sisters of Battle due to their firm allegiance to the Emperor, even though he was still offended by Amadis's zealous accusations. Instead it was the Rubric Marines, as they were named by the Thousand Sons, which advanced on the cover that the Sisters of Battle had taken. This was not to Amadis's liking as the bolter rounds were essentially wasted on the living suits of armor.

It would not be long for the Imperial Guardsmen to hear the battle when they themselves approach, as they would be following the deeply imprinted footsteps of the mighty Dreadnought.


	7. Chapter 7

"They will be dealt with shortly my brother. Let us refocus your attention to rejoining the legion. Our battle still rages on in the Warp and your brothers grow anxious." The Sorcerer suggested. Nero remained facing the Sisters of Battle as the Rubric Marines continued their advance. Inferno Bolts, conceived by the Warp saturated powers of the Sorcerer, proved to be grievously effective when they struck a battle sister as they ignored armor plating completely. Since the Sisters of Battle were without the super human resistances of the Space Marines they might as well of been wearing the Flak Armor of the Imperial Guard. Soon the five Sisters of Battle were swiftly reduced to three. Even with a sense of hopelessness, despite their righteous zeal, setting in the Sisters of Battle stood their ground and sought to better guard themselves by changing their positions in cover. But it was clear that they would not have enough ammunition to bring the immortal Rubric Marines down.

"Sisters, draw these treacherous Space Marines away from here. I will deal with Nero and the Sorcerer myself. If I fall then retreat back to the chapel and execute those heretic techpriests!" Amadis ordered, sure that the Sorcerer and Rubric Marines could not hear over their own gunfire. The two Sisters of Battle nodded and fled from cover further down the street, luring the Rubric Marines to follow. The Sorcerer seemed little concerned as they fled and simply allowed the Rubric Marines to continue their pursuit. He noted Nero's reluctance to leave and took the opportunity to seed doubt.

"Don't you see the Imperium's warriors turning against you, Nero?" The Sorcerer observed, sensing the guilt that loomed in the Dreadnought's mind as he watched the battle progress. Nero remained silent as he recalled Amadis's accusations.

"I have been watching you. They seem ready to accept your help and all too eager to turn on you. They see you as a tool the Emperor left behind that they can use with wreckless abandon to their benefit. The Imperial Guardsmen and Sisters of Battle do not see you the way we, your battle brothers, value you." The Sorcerer continued to pry into Nero's unease. The scenario that the Sorcerer described made sense to Nero, it brought comfort to his concerns. If anything it continued to glorify what he had patiently waited for since his entombment on Cepheus which was reunion with his legion.

"Transport shall arrive soon my brother. We have but to wait and we'll be off this besieged planet. Come with me to a much more...reinforced…position we have established." The Sorcerer told him with confidence that he had won the Dreadnought over. Nero hesitated. He looked in the direction he had come as though expecting the Sisters of Battle to return. It was quite clear, however, that they were driven off, as the Rubric Marines began to go, presumably, to the reinforced position that the Sorcerer had described. With it clear that the Sisters were long gone, Nero turned away to follow the Sorcerer. His battle brothers, crusading in the Warp against Chaos, awaited him.

"This is the last time we meet traitor!" Amadis seemingly came from nowhere, flanking Nero from the left. The Sorcerer did not expect her sudden appearance, as did the Dreadnought, as the Sister of Battle landed atop the machine from a nearby pile of rubble. Before Nero could attempt at shaking off the zeal possessed Sister of Battle she stabbed her chainsword down into the still opened gash in his right shoulder to steady herself. The teeth of the sword tore at the recently repaired internal components of the Dreadnought's body with great effectiveness, made worse by the Dreadnought trying to throw her off. Her valiant attempt of martyrdom came to an end when Nero rammed a nearby concrete wall head on, almost burying the Sister of Battle in bent rebar and rubble.

"It's as I said. She is so ready to slay you Nero. Deal with her." The Sorcerer commanded, standing over the two from a height at which he could observe any more potential ambushes. Nero reached down with his power fist and dragged Amadis's body from the remains of the wall. She was still alive, her armor serving its purpose, but in the Dreadnought's hand she was powerless to retaliate. The Dreadnought raised her into the air and slowly began to tighten his grip. Clearly he did not intend to crush her immediately; instead it seemed he would rather let her feel the strength he possessed herself.

"**Sister of Battle, seemingly faithful to the Emperor in all ways, you exclude his equally loyal servants in favor of yourself. Unacceptable, but now I will have to deal with your accusations of heresy no further.**" Nero scolded as he continued to steadily increase his grip. He brought the Sister of Battle eye to eye with himself. His cybernetic eyes met the furious glare of the breathless Sister of Battle. The Sorcerer seemed pleased as he watched Nero truly become consumed with rage for the Sister of Battle. But suddenly his grip's tightening came to a pause. Nero broke into her mind and began to pry for a deeper explanation of her distrust of his legion and when he had found it he immediately released Amadis from his suffocating grip.

"**What have I done?**" Nero looked down on the slowly recovering Sister of Battle, evidently horrified. The Horus Heresy, Magnus the Red's revoking of the Emperor, the creation of the Thousand Sons. Amadis had only a fleeting knowledge of these topics but it was enough for Nero. He had come to fully realize the severity of the history he had slumbered away due to being cut off from the Imperium in this extreme side of the galaxy.

"What are you doing Nero? Kill her." The Sorcerer demanded. He was suddenly very anxious, possibly fearing what Nero might have realized on his own from this short encounter with the Sister of Battle. But he would have nothing to fear in a moment.

"**No. Instead I shall-**" Nero was about to turn on his corrupt battle brother but was cut off as two Heavy Bolters opened fire upon him. In normal circumstances the Dreadnought would be impervious to harm from the hail of gunfire. But this was immediately proven wrong as the heavy armor was pierced by armor piercing ammunition. During the conflict between Nero and Amadis the Imperial Guardsmen had caught up and saw all they had needed to conclude Nero to be the traitor that Amadis claimed him to be. With Amadis out of the line of fire, the Guardsmen were free to fire upon the ancient machine. Nero briefly resisted the bolter fire to look where the Sorcerer was moments ago. But the Sorcerer had already vanished, abandoning Nero to his grim fate. Eventually the Dreadnought, not willing to fall in vain against the Imperium's own Guardsmen, fled, retreated into the ruined city. After a long period of silence the Imperial Guardsmen hesitantly rose from their heavy cover, confused as to why the Dreadnought had not fired a single shot against them in retaliation. Nathaniel quickly came down from their position to check on the condition of the Sister of Battle.

Meanwhile the Tyranid horde that was ravaging the planet had changed direction. Now the Tyranid swarm was retracing its steps and the main force was driving back into the city containing the holy chapel and the now exposed survivors that explored the surroundings. While in the stars above the planet the Warp Storm of Divine Will was expanding towards the suffering planet of Cepheus. The portion of the Hive Fleet that was still coming to the planet was seemingly intercepted by the warp storm and annihilated. The mind leading the marauding Hive Fleet altered its path to avoid this horrific maelstrom of energy as the warp storm's growth slowly came to a stop. The Warp Storm was close enough to the planet, however, to begin causing horrific changes to the planet's surface…


End file.
